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Paper 1 - Section 1.4 Free will, determinism & predestination…
Paper 1 - Section 1.4
Free will, determinism & predestination
Christian Views on Free Will
For
Aquinas
- "Do good & avoid evil", use knowledge of 'good' & 'evil'
Original Sin
- temptation
Augustine
- divided soul - weakened by desires of the soul
Against
God has a plan
- Omnicient - don't have choice over actions
Why would God give us free will if he knew it would lead to
evil
God has
limited powers
Example
'If God is omnicient then do we still have free will'
Non-Christian views on Free will & Derminism
Free Will
Reponsability
for actions - 'liberatarianism'
Example
- those who live in areas with gangs can choose not to join the gangs
Past choice
can limit freedom but in the end we are still 'responsible' for actions
Jean Paul Satre
- human essence - "existence precedes essence"
Determinism
Are choices are due to
'prior choices'
-
e.g. 'I am studying A levels so that i can go to university'
Social Conditioning
- e.g by helping someone they may help you back another time
Genetics
- inherited from parents
Experiences
- e.g. if you were abused as a child you could be more likely to abuse others in the future
Example
'Explain why some non-religious people believe that humans have free will & some don't?' (gmarks)
Christian Views on Predestination
Protestant
John Calvin
(1509-1564)
All people are
inherently sinful
, therefore nobody is good enough to earn their way to heaven
Salvation must be a
gift from God
Holy spirit
will be active in the lives of the 'elect' (people going to heaven) - helps them do good
The reprobate wouldn't have Holy Spirit - naturally sinful
God decides
if you go to heaven
Priests
Told people they couln't go to heaven without 'sacraments' - excommunication was a sentence to Hell
'Indulgences'
promised people time of purgatory so they could get to heaven quicker
PROBLEMS
with John Calvins views on Predestination
No 'free will'
- not free to choose differently
Pointless trying to become a better
person if we are predestined to be the 'elect' or 'reprobates'
Why would an
Omnibenevolant
(all loving) God create a reprobate & not give everyone a chance to go to heaven
Predestination means that we have
no responsablity over our actions
Those who are good are guided by God
Those who are evil have sinful nature
God wants people to be saved
"For God loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life"
Christian views on whether we should be held responsible for our actions
Responsible
'Free will'
so we have freedom over our actions
At the end of life you get
'judged'
by God on how they have lived - God sees all people as responsible for their actions
People are responsible because they are able to say sorry for their sins & seek
'forgiveness of Christ'
Aquinas
- "Do good and avoid evil" - use reason, the Bible & the church to determine 'right' from 'wrong'
Not Responsible
Predestination
'Elect' go to heaven as they are guided by the Holy Spirit
'Reprobates' are destined for Hell as they aren't guided by the Holy Spirit
God's
'omnicient'
(all knowing) so he knows what we are going to do, before we do it
Non-Religious views on whether we should be held responsible for our actions
Not Responsible
Social Conditioning
- e.g. reward & punishment of society influences the way we act
Freud
- part of the psyche callled the 'Super Ego' is the influences of our parents
Genetics
- e.g. born with a lack of empathy
Experiences
- e.g. if you were abused as a child you may be more likely to abuse others when you get older as you think it's good 'Apparent Goods' (Aquinas)
Responsible
Libertarianism
- we are completely free to make our own choices in life
Our past choices & personality limit our choice to a certain extent but we are still responsible for our action as we aren't fullyt controlled by them
Jean Paul Satre
- "existance precedes essence"
E.g.
If you are brought up with gangs you have the choice not to join them when yo get older as we have 'free will'
Christian views on whether God decides fate
For
John Calvin's 'predestination'
'Elect' are guided by the Holy Spirit
'Reprobates'
will go to hell because they are sinful
God is
'omnicient'
(all knowing) so knows who will go to Heaven or Hell
Against
Free will
to obey or diobey
God
juges us
based on how we lived our lives
Christ died so that all people could go to heaven